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Ann Vanderhoof has given readers two Caribbean travelogues to savour, first in her debut novel, An Embarrassment of Mangoes, and now in The Spice Necklace.

Her second Caribbean odyssey aboard her and husband Steve's sailboat Receta ("recipe" in Spanish) takes us on a deliciously slow cruise through the Caribbean.

It's been 10 years since their first two-year trip in the mid- '90s (as told in An Embarrassment of Mangoes), where the couple leave behind the hectic pace of Toronto and sail from Canada to the Caribbean. They chuck their busy magazine jobs for a slow-paced life of soaking up island cultures and flavours.

This time, anxious once again to escape city life, they lazily island-hop from the Dominican Republic to St. Lucia to Trinidad.

Along the way, Vanderhoof, who has written for Gourmet, More and Islands magazines, follows her foodie senses to local kitchens, markets and farms and meets a host of characters. Among her collection of local fare is real nutmeg in Grenada and oregano goats in the Dominican Republic. In her tiny two-by-two-foot on-board kitchen, she turns out dozens of local recipes, which you'll find in the book.

We asked her a few questions about food, travel and the Caribbean pastime of "liming."

Q: Why are travel and food so intertwined?

A: There's something in the smell and taste that cements memories. When I'm back in Canada, there are some tastes I just long for. In Trinidad, they make these roti with anything and everything in them. They include curry pumpkin in it or whatever's in season. It's making my mouth water just talking about it.

Q: What's become your favourite place in the Caribbean?

A: The longer we stay in a place, the more we are likely to fall in love with it. We're still in love with Grenada, but now that we've spent more time in Trinidad and more time in St. Lucia or the small island of Carriacou ... it's stolen our hearts. The place we are in is our favourite. It's always hard for us to lift our anchor and move on.

Q: What's a must-do in one of your favourite places?

A: The more you spend time in a place, the more you realize you've only scratched the surface. In St. Lucia, we climbed the Gros Pitons (one of the iconic peaks of the island). It's amazing.

Q: Other recommendations?

A: Go to local markets. Have some small bills in your pocket and just buy a few small things. You get caught up in the smells ... the hustle and bustle.

Q: Favourite souvenir?

A: In the markets of Grenada the women make spice necklaces. I just can't resist them. They make them with nutmeg, cloves, bay leaf, turmeric. You just breathe in the aromas.

Q: If you were limited to one gadget, what would it be?

A: Everything has to serve many purposes and everything has to earn its keep. It would have to be a micro-plane. Another one that's not a gadget is a pressure cooker. It's valuable on a boat because it speeds up the cooking time.

Q: What have you learned about yourself in your travels?

A: I was a magazine editor before I left. I was Ms. Deadline. I learned there was more to life than that. In Trinidad, there is a word -- "liming" -- used as a noun and a verb. It means, chilling or relaxing, spending time with friends. People say, "Who you liming with tonight?" I learned how to lime!

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